Alexander the Great on Horseback
700–799
- Medium
- dyed wool, undyed linen; plain weave and slit-tapestry weave
- Dimensions
- Overall: 30.5 x 24.8 cm (12 x 9 3/4 in.); Mounted: 41.9 x 36.8 cm (16 1/2 x 14 1/2 in.)
- Genre
- Textile
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art
Styles
About
Featuring imperial Byzantine themes, this rare roundel originally decorated a tunic. Genii (guardian spirits) crown the mounted horseman in military dress while an animal runs below. The inscription at the top identifies the horseman as Alexander the Great (356-323 bc), a popular cult figure in Egypt for centuries. The pattern’s mirror-image symmetry indicates the influence of costlier Byzantine silks.